Questionable Activities by Georgia's Baker County School Board Provoke Protests

Questionable Activities by Georgia's Baker County  

School Board Provoke Protests

For Immediate Release: May 22, 2013

Contact: Heather Gray

404 234 4630

hmcgray@earthlink.net

Questionable Activities by Georgia's Baker County  

School Board Provoke Protests

Baker County Community Council to meet with Georgia's Attorney General  

May 22, 2013 at 10AM

Note: For interviews with members of the Baker County Community Council please contact Heather Gray at 404 234 4630 or email her at hmcgray@earthlink.net

ATLANTA...On Wednesday, May 22 at 10AM representatives of the Baker County Community  

Shirley Sherrod

Council in southwest Georgia will meet with Georgia's Attorney General Sam Olens about issues regarding the the Baker County School Board. Joining the meeting will be Baker County school graduate and renowned activist, Shirley Sherrod. "Baker County has a long history of racial inequality," said Sherrod, "and there is a new school board in the county that has increased the racial tensions in our community. It has to stop. What is most distressing is that the board is paying no attention to what all this is doing to our children and their learning. We will discuss with the Attorney General some of the violations of this board and what we consider to be the remedies."     

The Baker County School Board, having recently changed from a predominantly black to a majority white board, has raised numerous questions even regarding the election of some of the board members themselves and the parameters of the voting districts.   

The speculation is that there are a number of potential violations of the School Board, yet to be affirmed, including: (1) a breach of Georgia's Open Meetings Act; (2) possible first amendment violations because of the board not allowing requests for input from the community at a school board meeting; (3) firing of teachers that might violate equal protection laws; (4) altering of school district lines to elect school board members that might violate the Voting Rights Act.

In a recent statement announcing a press conference about the Baker County school board, the Baker County Community Council stated that, "the school board's biased decision making and noncompliance of board policies is unacceptable.  We want to bring attention to the Board's  practices, disparities, and inappropriate actions. With the recent firing of the Superintendent, the Assistant Principal and some of the best teachers within the system, our students are suffering. We are requesting that the newly hired Principal, who is responsible for these firings, be removed from his position."     

For a video of comments by members of the Baker County Community Council at a recent rally outside the school in Baker County click here.